Machine for finishing candles.



, 6 1 BY [o E. J. ENGMAN.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING CANDLES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17. 1914.

1,1 14,871 v Patented 10ct.27, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- INVENTOR.

,W'Ld/ru ATTORNEY.

E. J. ENGMAN.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING CANDLES.

APPLICATION FILED MABJL 1914.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

all

I I I INVEN TOR. M 1 A TTORNE Y.

WITNESSES E. J. EN GMAN. MACHINE FOR FINISHING CANDLES. APPLIGATION TILED MAR. 17, 1914.

1, 1 14,871 Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

3 BHEETSSHEET 3.

/7 ML 1 45 /J /6 5043148 M /7 Q-fl-"2, 47

[N V EN TOR.

A TYORNEV.

EVALD J. ENGMAN', OF vSYIRACTfSE, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNOR TO THE WILL & BAUMER COMPAL TY, O15 SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, AjCORPORATION OF NEW YORK,

MACHINE FOR FINISHING CANDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. p t t Oct 27, 14,

Application filed March 17, 1914. Serial to. 825,193. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVALD J. ENoMaN, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, 1n the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Finishing Candles, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompany ng drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in machines for finishing candles after being molded to approximately the de sired form and size.

The main object is to provide more expeditious and economical means for imparting to the candles a uniform size and smooth external finish in a single operation so as to increase the output with the expenditure of a minimum amount of time and labor.

Another object isto render the operation of drawing the candles through the dies as nearly automatic as possible, at least to the extent of locking the carriage for the candle supports in its extreme down position with the candle supports protruding through and below the dies to permit the wicks of the candles to be hooked there and also to regulate the speed and upward movement of the carriage in drawing the candles through the dies and automatically stopping the up-' ward movement of the carriage after the candles have been withdrawn from said dies.

A further object is to place the tripping of the locking device under the control of the operator so as to prevent the upward movement of the carriage from its extreme down position until the operator is ready for such movement or until the candles are properly attached to all of the candle supports.

A still further object is'to counterbalance the weight of the carriage and elements carried thereby by means of a counterweight and pulley in which the counterweight acts as an initial starting device for the upward movement of the carriage to operate the clutch, whereby the pulley .will be placed in connection with a continuously revolying shaft for completing the upward movement of the carriae.

Another'ofiject is to provide means for conveying any excess material which maybe stripped from the candles away from the upper ends of the dies as the candles are drawn therethrough.

Other objects and uses relating to speshowing cific parts of the apparatus will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figures 1 and 2 are re spectively a front elevation and a side elevation of my improved candle-finishing machine showing the carriage in its extreme Lip-position and the clutch sections as disengaged. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view, through the die-supporting cases and lower end of the carriage being shown in its extreme downposition with the candle-supporting hooks protruding some distance below the dies for receiving the wicks of the candles. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the same"die-supporting case. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through a portion of one side of the carriage and adjacent guide rod showing the locking device taken on line 5-5, Fig. 1, except that the carriage is in its extreme down position, showing the locking device in its locking position. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the same ilocking device in its locking position directly under the lower end of the clutch-operating rod, showing the lower adjacent portion of the carriage and guide rod therefor. Fig. 7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the carria e-lifting mechanism taken on line -7, Fig. 1, also the underlying portions of the carriage and clutch-operating mechanism. Fig. 8 is an enlarged inverted plan of the clutch and means for throwing it into and out of operative position as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. Fig. 9 is a still further enlarged detail sectional view of the sliding clutch section and its operating means shown in Fig. 8 for forcing. it into engagement with the die-clutch section on the main driving shaft. Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail sectional view, partly in elevation, of a portion of the clutch-operating means for disen gaging the clutch sections.

The machine shown comprises a hollow base or casing -1 preferably rectangular in form and provided with an interior heating chamber -2 having an inlet 3- and an outlet 4tfor the circulation of steam or other heating fluid therethrough, said casing being provided with a plurality of, in this instance twelve, vertical guide tubes 5- arranged side by side in sets or parallel rows of six each for receiving a carriage, said corresponding number of upright tubular '5 so as to be removable for cleansing or repairs or for replacement and are provided at their opposite ends with annular shoulders -8 and -9 engaging respec- I, fluid within the chamber 2-, will de-" tively the top and bottom of the casing to hold them against relative endwise movement, the shoulders at the upper ends being preferabl formed integral with the tubular dies whi e the lower shoulders 19 are threaded and constitute nuts screwing upon the lower threaded ends of their respective dies by simply removing a corresponding nut -9-. Q Q g I n The tapering ,passages 7 through the tubular dies 6-- are preferably of the same size and form, but evidently may" be made of different sizesdf desired so that when the candles are drawn from the bottom upward through the passages, the up per ends thereof being heated by the heating termine the diameter of the candles and also impart a smooth finish to their surfaces.

The upper end faces or heads of the tubular dies are preferably beveled outwardly and downwardly so as to'cause any excess material which may be stripped from the candles during the operation of drawing them through. the passages -7 to flow away from said passages onto the outwardly and downwardly inclined upper faces 10- of the casing l and thence into longitudinally inclined channels --1I in the sides of the casing as shown more clearly in .Figs. 1, 4 and 5. The opposite ends of the casing lare provided with apertured lugs 12- in which are secured by pins '--13 the lower ends of a pair of upright parallel guide rods 14-& for partially supporting and guiding a vertically movable frame or carria'ge --l5 which is oflight skeleton structure and is provided with lower and upper sets of apertured bearings 16- and 17-' slidable along and upon the rods -14.-, those of each set being spaced some distance apart, one above the other, to prevent binding or cramping of the carriage on its ways.

' Secured to the lower end of the carriage is a plurality of, in this instance twelve, candle-supporting plungers 18- in vertical alinement with the axis of their corresponding tubular dies through which they are adapted to pass as the carriage is raised and lowered, the lower ends of said plungers being provided with hooks 19 adapted to protrude some distance below the lower ends of the tubular dies when the carriage is in its extreme down position to permit the ends of the candle wicks to be Lille-71 attached thereto so that the candles may be drawn upwardly through their respective dies when the carriage is elevated in-a manner hereinafter described.

The carriage is preferably drawn downward y hand against the action of suitable retracting means as the coimterweight 2()-- and for this purpose is provided with' an operating arm or link 21- having its upper end pivoted at 22-- to the central portion of the carriage and its lower end provided with a handle -21- within reaching distance of the operator standing .up on the floor so that by pulling down upon the candle, corresponding 1r avement will be transmitted to the carriage.

The counterweight 20 is connected to oneend of a cable 23 at the rear of the machine, said cable passing over a pulley or sprocket wheel 24. and having its other end attached to an apertured lug on the central upper portion of said carriage as shown more clearly in Fig. 1.

Carriage locking means.Suitable means i purpose I have provided an upright rod 25 running parallel with and in close proximity to one of the upright guide rods 14--, and also serving as a partvof the means for shifting the clutch mechanism hereinafter described and, therefore, this rod 25 has a slight endwise movement. The upper end of the rod is supported and guided in an apertured lug 2G of an overhead bracket 27*'- and is provided with a stop collar 28 for engaging the upper surface of the lug 26 and limiting the downward movement of the rod. The intermediate portion of the rod -25- is supported and guided in an apertured lug or bracket 29 on the adjacent side of the upper portion of the carriage -15-,

said lug being provided with a transverse slot 30 for receiving a locking member 31-- which is pivoted at 3Q to the lug 29 to swing horizontally into and out of a position directly under the lower end plungers through and beyond the lower ends of the dies when the carriage is in its extreme downward position and to draw the candles through and above the upper ends of the dies when in its extreme upward position and it, therefore, follows that the position of the lower end of the rod'-25 depends upon the degree of movement of 5 end of the rod shaped extremitiesiof the plungers -18-' 85 of positively lifting 3 port -27- at opposite sides of the endwise movement.

the carriage and upon the length of the candles, but is always adjusted relatively to the locking member 31 so-that the locking member will always -25- as soon as the hookare brought a suflicient distance below the lower ends-of the dies .to permit the wicks of the candles to be hooked thereon prepara- 10 tory to drawing the candles through the dies by the upward movement of the carriage, said locking member being automatically forced to its locking position by a spring 33, shown in Fig. 5, and is adapted to be voluntarily tripped from its locking position at the will of the operator by means of a handle -34--.- Carriage Zz'ftiar means-After the wicks on the upper ends of the candles have been attached to their respective hooks l9-- on the plungers 18- on the carriage -15, while the carriage is locked in its extreme downward position in the manner described, the locking member or catch 3l- 1S tripped from its locking position by hand,

whereupon the counterweight -20- will start the carriage solely in its upward movement by reason of the fact that the counterweight is slightly heavier than the combined weight of the carriage and candles mounted thereon, the object of which is to operate a suitable clutch presently described to connect a continuously rotating driving shaft to the sprocket wheel 2l for the purpose the carriage to its ex treme upward position. For this purpose, a driving shaft is journaled in suitable bearings 36-- on the overhead support -27- and is provided with a pulley 4O -37-, ada ted to be connected by a belt to any availa le source of power for driving the shaft continuousl in the same direction indicated by arrow X-, Fig. 1, said shaft being disposed in a horizontal position some distance to the rear of the plane of the carriage so that the front side of the sprocket wheel will be disposed in such plane for direct connection with said carriage through the medium of the cable or chain -Q3-.

Secured to the shaft near one end is'a clutch'section -38- adapted to be engaged by a coaxial sliding clutch section -39- which is mounted upon the adjacent end of a sleeve -40 and is provided with a'cam face -4l torone end thereof for a purpose presently described. The sleeve 40 is loose on the main driving shaft -35- and is preferably journaled in suit able bearings -42 on the overhead suphub of the wheel -24.- which is secured to the sleeve by a set screw -43; as shown in Fig.7, so that the bearings -42 hold the sleeve and sprocket wheel against relative The clutch section ride under the lower" --39-- is adapted tobe moved into and out of engagement with the clutch section 38-- by means of a shifting rod -44- which is slidable parallel with the shaft 35-- in apertured lugs -45 on the front sides of one of the bearings -36- and adjacent bearings .42- and is rovided with a forked arm 46- adjustaiily secured thereto and engaged in an annular groove 47- on the clutch section -39- for shifting said clutch section as the rod is moved in one direction or the other.

One of the lugs 45-, in which the clutch-shifting rod 44- is slidable, is provided with a hollow boss -48- in which is mounted a spring-actuated plunger i9 having a tapered inner end for frictional engagement in sockets i50 in the adjacent side of the shifting rod -4:4- to frictionally hold said rod and clutch section actu ated thereby in its shifted position and at the same time permitting those parts to be shifted by positive means presently described.

Shortly after the carriage has been startin its upward movement by the action of the counterweight -20- and after the locking member -3lhas been released, the incidental rotation of the wheel 24-- will cause a corresponding rotation of the sleeve 4:0- and cam 4l mounted thereon, which cam will then ride against a roller -5lon one end of a rock arm -52 which is pivoted to the adjacent bearing 12* and yieldingly held in its operative position by a light spring 43 against a shoulder -4 l'- opposed to the direction of movement of the cam 41 so as to cause the shifting of the clutch section 39-into engagement with the clutch section ,'38--, thereby locking the sleeve 40- to the continuously rotating shaft -35- and causing the latter to drive the wheel 21- to continue the lifting of the carriage to its extreme up position or until the clutch sections are automatically disengaged by mechanism presently described. This clutch-releasing mechanism consists of a collar -54- which is adjustably secured to the rod 2:3- and held in its adjusted position by a set screw 56-, said collar projectin into the path of upward movement of t e adjacent hub -17- on the carriage --l5- so that as soon as the carriage reaches a sufficient height to entirely withdraw the candles from their respective dies, it will encounter the collar -5 l and thereby raise the rod -25-. This rod -25- is provided with a transverse slot 58- for receiving one end of a bell-crank lever '-59-, the latter being fulcrumed or pivoted at -60 upon the adjacent bearing -36- and has its other arm disposed in a slot 61-- in the adjacent end of the clutchshifting rod 44- so that the elevation of the rod 25, as just previously described, operates the bell-crank lever 59-- to shift the rod -44 and thereby disengage the clutch section 39- from the corresponding clutch section 38- to stop further upward movement of the carriage, whereupon the candles which have been drawn through the, dies and thereby sized and finished may be detached from their respective hooks -19- and the operation previously described repeated. It may be stated, however,

that as the carriage is drawn downwardly by hand, the wheel 24 -"and cam 4:1- will be rotated in a reverse direction from that required to move the carriage-upward,

thus bringing the high point of the/cam 41 against the roller 51- which is free to rock in the same direction against the action of the retracting spring l3 until the point of the cam has passed the roller, whereupon the latter is immediately returned to its operative position ready to be engaged by said cam to force the clutch sections into operative engagement in the manner previously described.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for finishing candles, a

\ tubular finishing die, means for drawing a .plurality of upright tubular dies, means for candle through the die comprising a reciprocatory element and actuating means therefor including a clutch and means actuated by said element for releasing the clutch after the candle has been drawn through the 2. In a machine for'finishing candles, a

' drawing candles through the dies comprising a vertically movable carriage having the dies and additional means for antomatically stopping the movement of the carriage from the dies after the candles have been withdrawn therefrom. 4. In a machine for finishing candles, a hollow casing having a heating chamber and an inlet for a heating fluid, a plurality of upright dies'passing through said chamber and provided with upwardly tapering passages therethrough, a vertically movable carriage having plungers movable through the passages and provided'with means for attaching candles thereto for drawing said candles from the bottom upward through said passages, means for locking the carriage in its extreme down position to permit the candles to be attached to the plungers while the carriage is at rest, said locking means being voluntarily unlocked, automatic means for starting the carriage on its upward movement, a continuously rotating shaft, and means actuated by said starting means for connecting the starting means to the shaft for continuing the lifting movement of the carriage and thereby drawingthe candles through said passages, and additional means actuated by the carriage for disconnecting the starting means from the driving shaft after the candles have been withdrawn from the dies.

5. In a machine for finishing candles, a tubular finishing die, a carriage movable to ward and from the die, a plunger on the carriage movable through the die and provided with means for attaching a candle thereto, a continuously rotating driving shaft, a clutch section secured to the shaft, a sleeve loose on the shaft, a wheel secured to the sleeve, a clutch section feathered on the sleeve and movable into and out of en-- gagement with the first-named clutch section, a cable on the wheel having one end connected to the carriage and its other end provided with a counter-weight to assist in raising the carriage, means including a catch for locking the carriage in. its extreme down position, said catch being tripped voluntarily to permit the counter-weight to start the carriage in its upward movement and thereby actuate the wheel and sleeve, means actuated by such movement of 'the Wheel and sleeve for throwing the sliding clutch section into engagement with the first-named clutch section to connect the shaft to the sleeve, and additional means actuated by the carriage for disengaging the clutch sections after the carriagehas been moved u wardly'a suflicient distance towithdraw t e candles from the dies.

In witness whereof I-"have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of March,- 1914.

EVALD J. ENGMAN.

Witnesses: H. E. CHASE,

Eva E. GREENLEAF. 

